THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL.

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 14

THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL.

CONDITIONS OF ACGESS

I NO PROFESSIONAL INTERFERENCE. 1 At the meeting of the Charitable Aid Board on Sept. 23 some correspondence relating to the Maternity Hospital in Forth street was read and discussed. The Registrar of Otago University wrote under date September 7 to the Charitable Aid Board: — (> I have been instructed by the University Council ,to remind your board that the University Council is ; awaiting- the terms of access of our lecturer and students to the Maternity Borne. I' also send yoa a copy of *n advertise- , ment that is going into the leading papers lof the four centres : ' Applications for the I post of lecturer on midwifery and gynseco- ; logy in -the University will be .received ! by .the understgned up titi Wednesday, 29th iast. The salary is £100 per pjvuiim and class fees.' " ' TJaAsrr date Sejirecaier 18, tke Secretary Charitable Aid Board replied: — "I have • jthe honour, by direction of the' board, to acknowledge your letter of 7th inst., and to reply as follows: — 'The senior medical students of the • Otago University will be admitted as previously io the Maternity Hospital, Forth strest, for practical instruction, subject to the control of ti» -senior medical officer, or, in his absence, hi«s assistant, and conditionally, on the bylaws of the Maternity Hospital being adhered to. The boaad fully recognises that its medical officer is responsible fox Th& health of the' patients in the Hospital; it, th-orefdre, cannot allow any extra, professional "interference there, as in its j opinion such vould tend to create friction. I also desire to draw your attention to your letter deled March ,24 last, -and specially to. that portion of it referring to the appointment of an assistant to the hon. physician. In this we have complied with your recommendation, thereby enabling you to appoint him tutor of obstetrics. As you have indicated in connection with this purpose, the beard gladly grants him ' the free use cf the Maternity- Hospital for teaching tbe medical students' attending it.' " The Chairman (Mr J. H. Walker) the history of the difference arising between the two bodies, and said that the committee of the Charitable Aid Board had not been able to cooce to. a satisfactoryarrangement with the University Council, so fchs bocrd had taken upon, itself to go , into the question, with thejrosuit that Dr Closs had been appointed.' |t' appeared that Dr Batchelor was under the im1 pression thai the appointment had been rushed through by tho board in his absence. He could assure Dr Batchelor thfff this <vas not tho case. Dr Batchelor would BZ-am to have mads, since his return from. Australia, one or two statements which were scarcely correct. It was only fair to the. board and io the public 1 that these statements shoull be contradicted. He rou!d rssurc Dr Batr&e'or . that the members of tho board made every endeavournot to break the rules. As ( tLo Maternity' Home was under the jurisdiction of the h ,°arJ- it had the ri^hfc to ea-v who should ba appo.nted to 'he responsible position of senior medical omeer. Dr Batehelor had been a wonderfully good' servant) to the board, having dorra probably as Much, if not more, ia that direction than anyone else in the Dominion. They were all very sorry to have lost his services, but they felt they were perfectly within their rights in making their own appointment "to the Maternity Home. Dr Baichelor seemed to think that the board, in making the appointment, had occasioned a brsach in the by-laws, but it would be romembared that Dr Stanley Batchelor, in making the application on behalf of his father, distinctly stated that, if the appointment was to ha under dual control, Dr Batchelor would not accept it. -It was obvious that Dr Batchelor would not sarve the University Board. This being the case, Dr Batcholor's" application had been withdrawn. It would, therefore, be seen that the only person attempting to break the by-laws was "our friend him- " self." The Charitable Aid Board absolutely dissented from any attempt to ignore ft in this matter.